L -- 2004 Space Test and Engineering Contract (STEC)

Seeking sources for Space Vehicle Operations (VO) support services. This prospective solicitation will be the follow-on contract to the Space Test and Engineering Contract (STEC). The current STEC contract ends 30 September 2003. The incumbent is General Dynamics. This follow-on effort includes a tentative 4-month transition period, a 1-year base contract, and four 1-year options. The purpose of this announcement is to determine whether to set aside this solicitation for small business. The NAICS code is 541710 and the Size Standard is 1000 employees. All potential sources are encouraged to submit a Statement Of Capabilities (SOC), but only small businesses interested as the prime contractor will be evaluated. Foreign firms are advised they will not be allowed to participate in this acquisition. In the SOC, which should not contain more than 24 pages, describe your ability to provide the following integrated services: (a) Describe your ability and indicate your interest in competing as a prime contractor; (b) Describe the core capabilities of your company that apply to this proposed solicitation; (c) Describe the functions you have performed in support of satellite operations; (d) Describe the types of satellite control networks you have used; (e) Describe the satellite missions you have performed, including complexity, type of mission, orbit type, and length of mission; (f) Describe the types and complexity of missions for which you have developed operations concepts; (g) Describe the functions you have performed in support of readiness activities; (h) Describe your experience and the role you have played in the creation and execution of developmental and operational test plans; (i) Describe the kinds of space operations research you have conducted, especially with regard to design of experiments; (j) Describe your experience and the role you have played in the analysis of software requirements; (k) Describe the software development processes that you have used; (l) Describe the types and complexity of software that you have developed; (m) Describe the platforms and operating systems for which you have developed software. SOCs shall be submitted to the Contracting Officer at: Detachment 12, Space & Missile Systems Center, 3548 Aberdeen Ave. S.E., Kirtland AFB, New Mexico 87117-5778. Potential Offerors should consider the following information: (a) The Draft Statement of Work for this solicitation can be found at http://www.te.plk.af.mil/contracts/STEC2004/STEC2004.html through the "RFP" link; (b) Draft documents will be made available on this site as they are developed and updated; (c) The support efforts will occur at, but not solely at, Kirtland Air Force Base (AFB) NM and Schriever AFB CO. Descriptive information about these locations can be found at http://www.te.plk.af.mil; (d) All personnel working in the operations complexes must have at least a final DoD Secret clearance and must be able to obtain a DoD Top Secret clearance; (e) The contractor will work with the Government and other contractors in a team environment. The contractor will work with a diverse community of mission stakeholders (payloaders, bus manufacturers), contractors, Government agencies, and foreign entities; (f) The contractor will work with other contractors' proprietary data and will require appropriate agreements or clauses (i.e. Organizational Conflict of Interest clause); (g) The contractor will work with reimbursable Government contracts with multiple customers and ACRNs (industrially funded); (h) The contractor will conduct operations 24 hours per day/7 days a week for multiple one-of-a-kind satellite missions; (i)The contractor will create and maintain operations procedures; (j) The contractor will implement and administer a technical training program to ensure contractor personnel are position certified and qualified to work assigned missions; (k) The contractor will react to dynamic (i.e. weekly) changes in fiscal constraints and mission requirements. The contractor will adjust timelines to meet dynamic mission needs. An Ombudsman has been appointed to address concerns from offerors or potential offerors during the proposal development phase of this acquisition. The Ombudsman does not diminish the authority of the program director or contracting officer, but communicates contractor concerns, issues, disagreements, and recommendations to the appropriate Government personnel. When requested, the Ombudsman shall maintain strict confidentiality as to the source of the concern. The Ombudsman does not participate in the evaluation of proposals or in the source selection process. Interested parties are invited to call William Orzech at (310) 363-0886.